Automatic switch for pneumatic-despatch apparatus.



No. 726,033. PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.. I P. 0. CUTTING AUTOMATIC SWITCHFOR PNEUMATIC DBSPATGH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION I'ILBD MAY 15, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1" PATEN'IIJEDAPB. 21, 1903.

- v P; d. CUTTING.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR PNEUMATIC DESP-ATGH APPARATUS.

. APPLIOATIOH FILED in 15. 1902,

no MODEL.

"m: NORRIS FEIERS (10.. gqnwuma. wnsumamu. n, c.

'UITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

L Mson oo vsoL p r D s roRE sE vIo COMPANY, NEW JERSEY," A CORPORATIQN{OF .NEW JERSEY.

or NEWARK,

AUTOMATIC SWITCH 'FOR PNEUMATlC-DESPATCH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Faltent No; reaoea-aatd'n rn 21;19o3."

n nc nei iiled May 15, 1 9 023 erated by the carriers belonging to thatsta-;

tion and such carriers diverted and discharged through a branch tube. S

The object of my invention'is to produce a pneumatic-despatch apparatuswherein a single tube may be used for the transit of the carriers withbranch-tubes, 'into which the carriers are automatically switched attheir respective stations. 7 c

My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustratea construction embodyingmyinvention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pneumaticdespatchapparatus embodying :rny invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View, partly insection and showing acarrier diverted 'f-rotn the main transmissi0n5tnbeFig. Sis. asimilar view to Fig. 2 anda'showingthe carrier passing fromthe switch into the branch tube. Fig. 4. is an enlarged View, partly insection, of the carrier-head and latch hereinafter described. Fig. 4 isanenlarged view, partly in section, of another'form' of; carrier-headand latch and hereinafterdescribed. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.1,with parts in section to show the construction more clearly andhereinafter described;. Fig, 6 -is a sectional View of part of. thecarrier and bufferhead, showing thef'recess in the head. Fig. 7 is anend elevationof the carrier-head shown in Fig. 6. carrier, with thebuffer-head in section, showing therecess in a different location fromthat shown in Figs. 4, 6, and=7. Fig. 9 is an end view. ofthe carriershown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an end view of part of the carrier, with thebuffer-head in section and showing the head Fig. 8 is asideyiew. of partof the:

$erial no.'1o7.4.5e. (No model.)

cut away on the ends. Fig. 11 is anend view of the same.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews..

Along the main tube A are a number of stations at which'carriers are tobe diverted to their respective stations. Located in line with the maintube A is a tube-section B, held in its upper position in alinementwiththe main tube by the linksC C, piv0ted to the base,() on the shafts C 0and theirnpper ends,.respectively, are pivotedat Gt 0? to suitable lu son thetube-section B, and by means ofthe springsO the tube-section isheld in its normal position, as shown in Figs lando. In .the front endof the tube-section Bmh'ere is pivoted to the lugs D on the shaftjD,-;the finger 'E, which is normallyheld vertically across the front of thetube-section B by means of the spring E, passing under said finger andaroundthe ends of the fixedshaft D. Within the two sides of the finger Etheregis pivoted at F the latch F having a lug F, p ro- .jectinginwardly to the tube-section-B; and held in such position by thebell-crank lever 'F, pivoted at f within the two. sides of the finger Eand provided on its upper end with a suitable recess F By means ofthefi-at spring F wound around the fixed shaft F and extending upwardlyagainst the rear side of thelatchF of the bell-crank lever F, the latchF and thebell-crank lever Ff are; held in avertical position, as shownin Figs. A and ,4. Securedto-the top of the tube-section B is anotherflat spring Qprovided with alug F adapted to normally engage with thel.recess Fiand lock the finger with the latch F in their normal,positions, Figs. 1 and 5.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2,an d 3, the carrier is intendedto be diverted anditched at the stationshown in the drawings,-and the oper' ationis asfollows: When the carrier strikes the finger E, Figs. 1' and 4, it movesthe tubesection by its momentum to the position shown. in Fig. 2, whenthe lug F? on. the'end of the-flat spring G strikes the slight upperprojection F -on one sidelofan opening]? in the branch tube A2, which.causes the end of the fiat spring to rise from engagement with therecess F and the finger E, with the I00 latch F drops into the positionshown in Fig. 3, and the carrier passes out through the branch tube A,while the finger E swings back, as shown, until the inner end of theslot F of said finger contacts with the fixed cross-bar F secured onopposite sides of the slot F of the base 0 In the above operation itwill be noted that the depression H in the center of the buffer-head Hof the carrier (see enlarged view, Fig. 4) does not strike the lugF ofthe latch F at all,the said latch not changing its normal position withrelation to the finger E, but is carried with said finger E to theposition shown in Fig. 3, and

in the construction as described in Figs. 1, 2,

and 3 the carrier belongs to this station, the

depression being arranged so that the lug F is not struck by the head ofthe carrier, and therefore the finger E is not released and moveddownwardly out of the way of the traveling carrier, so that the carriercan pass on to the station to which it belongs; but the buffer-headstriking the finger E directly does not release said finger; but thefinger with the tnbe-section are both bodily moved downwardly until thesection alines with'the branch tube, at which time the flat spring G ismoved upwardly and releases the bellcrank lever F, when the weight andforce of the carrier moves downwardly the finger E to the position shownin Fig. 3 and the carrier is discharged into the branch tube. Referringto Fig. 5, the carrier is shown with the buffer-head in section and withthe head striking the lug F of the latch F Fig. 4. The momentum of thecarrier will force inwardly the latch F and push the rear end of thebell crank lever F outwardly and pull down the upper end of thebell-crank, whereby the lug F on the fiat spring G will be released fromits engagement with the recess F in the top of the bell-crank F and thefinger E, with the latch F will be moved out of the way of the travelingcarrier without affecting the tube-section B, which remains stationaryand in alinement with the main tube A, so that the carrier II (shown inthis view) will pass on through the main tube A to the station where itbelongs. At the station to which it belongs the lug F will be soarranged that it will pass into the depression J (see Figs. 4, 6, and 7)of the bufferhead I-I, and under such conditions will not be moved tooperate the bell-crank; but the momentum of the carrier will carry downthe finger E and the tube-section B in a similar manner to that shown inFigs. 1, 2, 3 for carriers belonging to that station. The carrier shownin Figs. 8 and 9 has its recess K located in a difierent position fromthat shown in the carriers in the preceding figures, so that thiscarrier will only move down the tubesection for the diversion of thecarrier at the station where'the lug F of the latch F is so arranged asto enter said depression, and thereby cause the full force and weight ofthe carrier to act on the finger E and move the entire section down forthe switching of the carrier.

The carrier shown in Figs. 10and 11 shows another location of the recessL in the head of the carrier and carriers of this construction can onlybe switched at the station where the lug F of the latch F is so locatedas to enter this depression, and thereby cause the carrier to act withits full force and weight on the finger E and carry down the entiresection to allow the carrier to be switched into its branch tube.

I have shown four graduations of recesses in the heads of the carriers,these recesses having a correspondingly-graduated location to the lugs Fon the latch F at the dilferent stations, and the carriers pass overstations at which they are not to be diverted and operate the lug F andlatch F so that the finger E moves down out of the way, allowing thepassage of the carrier; but the lug F of the latch F at the station towhich the carrier does belong will not be driven in by the momentum ofthe carrier, but will enter the recess of the carrier to which itbelongs, and thus the carrier will strike the finger E without releasingit from the fiat spring G, and the entire section by the weight andmomentum of the carrier will be carried down and the carrier switched inthe manner shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

In order to reduce the friction of the traveling carrier, I have placedin the felt heads 11 sections of rawhide H which project about asixteenth of an inch from the surface of the felt, thus forming runnersfor supporting the carrier. While I have specified rawhide, any othersuitable material may be used for this purpose.

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as thesame may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth aconstruction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters of the United States, is-

1. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus, a main tube, a branch tubeleading therefrom at each station, a movable section at each stationnormally in alinementwith the main tube and adapted to be moved intoalinement with the branch tube by carriers belonging to that station,mechanism connected to said section and extending across the line oftravel of the carriers through the main tube, means for holding saidmechanism across the line of travel of the carriers through the maintube, a latch adapted to be operated by carriers belonging to thestations beyond for releasing said mechanism to allow the passage ofsaid carriers through the main tube, a series of carriers havingrecesses in the head graduated to receive the latch at the stations towhich the carriers belong whereby a section with its mechanism is moveddownwardly for the discharge of a carrier, and means for releasing themechanism upon the movement of the section in alinement with the maintube.

2. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus, a main tube, a branch tubeleading therefrom at each station, a movable section at each stationnormally in alinement with the main tube and adapted to be moved intoalinement with the branch tube by carriers belonging to that station,mechanism connected to said section and extending across the line oftravel of the carriers through the main tube, means for holding saidmechanism across the line of travel of the carriers through the maintube, a latch adapted to be operated by carriers belonging tothestations beyond for releasing said mechanism to allow the passage ofsaid carriers through the main tube,a series of carriers havingconcentric recesses in the head graduated to receive the latch at thestations to which the carriers belong whereby a section with itsmechanism is moved downwardly for the discharge of a carrier, and meansfor releasing the mechanism upon the movement of the section inalinement with the main tube.

3. In apneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus, a main tube, a branchtubeleading therefrom at each station,'a movable section at each stationnormallyin alinement with the main tube and adapted to be moved intoalinement with the branch tube by carriers belonging to that station,mechanism connected to said section and extending across the line oftravel of the carriers through the main tube, means for holding saidmechanism across the line of travel of the carriers through the maintube, a latch adapted to be operated by carriers belonging to thestations beyond for releasing said mechanism to allow the passage ofsaid carriers through the main tube, a series of carriers havingrecesses in the head graduated to receive the latch at the stations towhich the carriers belong whereby a section with its mechanism is moveddownwardly for the discharge of a carrier, means for vreleasing themechanism upon the movement of the section in alinement with the maintube, and means for returning the movable section to its normal positionin alinement with the main tube.

4. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus, a main tube, a branch tubeleading therefrom carriers through the main tube, means for holding saidmechanism across the line of travelof the carriers through the maintube,

a latch adapted to be operated by carriers belonging to the stationsbeyond for releasing said mechanism to allow the passage of saidcarriers through the main tube, a series of carriers having recesses inthe head graduated to receive the latch at the stations to which thecarriers belong whereby a section with its mechanism is moved downwardlyfor the discharge of a carrier, means for. releasing the mechanism uponthe movement of the'section in alinement with the main tube, means forreturning the mechanism to its normal position on the section, andmeans'for returning the section toits normal position in alinement withthe main tube.

5. In a pneu matic-despatch-tube apparatus, a main tube, abranch tubeleading therefrom at each station, switching mechanism normally inalinement with the main tube for diverting carriers belonging to thatstation into the branch tube, mechanism connected to said switchingmechanism for arresting carriers belonging to that station, a devicecooperating with said arresting mechanism and adapt-' ed to be operatedby carriers belonging to the stations beyond to release said arrestingmechanism and allow the carriers to pass, and a series of carriershaving recesses in the heads graduated to receive said devices at thestations to which the carriers belong whereby the switching mechanism ismoved into alinement with the branch tubes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 6th day of May, A. D. 1902.

FREDERICK O. OUTTIN G.

' Witnesses:

J. D. HARRIS, H. P. REIBLING.

